Apparatus for producing helical wires, rods, bars and the like

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprising in combination a machine for producing an elongated helical wire by drawing a wire material of circular cross-section into a noncircular cross-section such as a square shape by cold working and twisting the wire material in one direction at the same time and an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine disposed in series with the first machine for removing strain from the helical wire material by subjecting the material to an external force beyond the yield point to effect plastic deformation and then cutting-off the straightened wire in a predetermined dimension.

limited States Patent 1191 Murat 1 May 29, 11973 [54] APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING 3,273,372 9/1966 Ehlert ..72/275 HELICAL WIRES RODS, BARS AND 2,174,376 9/1939 Bolton et al.. .....72/285 THE LIKE 3,158,258 11/1964 Kelday et al.. .....72/276 2,289,398 7/1942 Whist ..72/64 [75] Inventor; M m Murao, k Japan 2,377,629 6/1945 Heinemann ..72/64 1,934,122 11/1933 Hill ..72/64 [73] Assignee: Naniwa Seitei Company, Ltd.,

Osaka Japan Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-M. Keenan Appl. N0.: 162,920

Foreign Application Priority Data July 28, 1970 Japan ..45/175536 U.S..Cl. ..72/275, 72/276, 72/285, 72/280, 72/289, 72/64 IntQCl. ..B21c l/00, 1321b 15/02 Field of Search ..72/274, 275, 276, 72/278, 280, 285, 289, 64, 129, 135;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1934 Hill ..72/64 Lil omcn

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A ttorneylames Wegner An apparatus comprising in combination a machine for producing an elongated helical wire by drawing a wire material of circular cross-section into a noncircular cross-section such as a square shape by cold working and twisting the wire material in one direction at the same time and an automatic straight wire cuttingoff machine disposed in series with the first machine for removing strain from the helical wire material by subjecting the material to an external force beyond the yield point to effect plastic deformation and then cutting-off the straightened wire in a predetermined dimension.

ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures E. Armstrong and Harold C.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCDIG HELICAL WIRES, RODS, BARS AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for producing helical wires, more particularly a novel and useful apparatus for producing wires, rods, bars and the like having helically twisted crests by subjecting an elongated steel wire material of circular cross-section to cold working to obtain a wire material of square cross-section, twisting the resultant wire in one direction to form a twisted wire with helical crests, removing strain from the twisted wire material thus produced to straighten the same and cutting off the straightened wire in a predetermined dimension.

A machine has generally been known for producing elongated wires or bars having helically twisted crests by which a steel wire material of circular cross-section on a supply drum disposed in front of the apparatus is passed through a drawing die having a passage of noncircular cross-section such as a square cross-section and held by a holder which is rotated in one direction to thereby produce a wire of non-circular or square cross-section by cold working. During this operation, the drawing die per se is driven in one direction to obtain a wire having helically twisted crests. The wire is then wound on a positively rotated take-up drum disposed in the rear of the machine. Usually, such a machine is used in combination with an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine including groups of feed rolls disposed in the front and rear parts thereof, strain removing means interposed between the groups of feed rolls and automatic cutting-ofi means disposed in the rear part thereof.

Since the above-mentioned machines are driven individually, the operating efficiency is very low. Furthermore, because the take-up drum in the rear of the twisted wire producing machine takes up by its own torque the wire which has been twisted by the drawing die and because it is exposed and projected rearwardly of the machine, the operator is liable to be injured due to inadvertent contact with the take-up drum. This is a serious problem from the viewpoint of safety operation.

Accordingly, it is considered to be of primary importance to operate both machines in synchronism with each other for a continuous operation to thereby achieve higher efficiency and safety, but if the take-up operation by the take-up drum in the rear of the twisted wire producing machine is to be effected in synchronism with the feeding operation by the groups of rolls mounted in front of the automatic cutting-off machine, there arises a need to provide another mechanism which is complex in construction. Moreover, due to the fact that both of the machines are designed for entirely different operations and purposes, it is difficult to design a synchronizing mechanism which will meet the 7 requirements of these two machines and, if it is possible at all, the mechanism would become very expensive.

As already known, helical wires, rods, bars and the like to be produced by the apparatus of this invention and by those of prior art are used as nails, spikes, fastening devices, concrete reinforcement, gratings, barbed wires and ornamental bars for furniture such as those for chairs and tables. It is therefore desired that the helical wires, rods, bars and the like having helically twisted crests be free of any injuries in the exterior or surface thereof including their crests.

Especially when nails, spikes, fastening devices and concrete reinforcement are used for the intended purposes, they must be anchored satisfactorily to the part in which they are embedded, while it is desired that gratings be effective in preventing slippage. Accordingly, helical wires, rods, bars and the like must be perfect in shape and, above all, have sharp ridges or crests.

However, when a sharp-ridged wire is subjected to an external force exceeding the yield point to effect plastic deformation on the strain removing means included in the automatic cutting-off machine, the external force acts on the sharp ridges or crests which have been formed in the preceeding step, so that the crests are always beaten or pressed down to a flat form contrary to the intended purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These problems have been eliminated by the present invention.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus comprising in combination a twisted wire producing machine and an automatic machine for cutting off straight wires disposed in series by which straight helical wires, rods and bars twisted in one direction and cut off in a predetermined dimension are produced by cold working in an automatic continuous and high speed operation from an elongated wire material of circular cross-section.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for producing straight helical wires, rods and bars twisted in one direction and cut off in a predetermined dimention which are free of any injury in the crests thereof and capable of effecting excellent anchorage and preventing slippage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the same power source supplies the force for drawing an elongated wire material of circular cross-section into a square cross section and the force for winding up the drawn wire and which is provided with a stationary take-up drum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removing strain from the twisted wire by utilizing the flat planes of the twisted wire wound up on the take-up drum of the twisted wire producing machine.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus wherein the same drive means supplies the force for drawing a wire material of circular cross-section into a square cross-section by cold working and the torque for twisting in one direction the wire material to be drawn.

In accordance with the present invention, an elongated wire material of circular cross-section wound on a supply drum is drawn into a square cross-section by cold working while being subjected to a torque in one direction at the same time to obtain a twisted wire to be wound on a take-up drum by a twisted wire producing machine wherein the force for drawing the wire material and the force for winding up the resultant elongated twisted wire on the take-up drum are supplied by the same power source and which includes a stationary take-up drum. Further according to this invention, an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine is disposed in the rear of the twisted wire producing machine in combination therewith, the cutting-off machine including groups of front and rear feed rolls and strain removing means interposed between the groups of feed rolls for eliminating strain from the twisted wire by utilizing the external force resulting from the striking contact of the fiat planes of the twisted wire with part of the strain removing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing showing an embodiment of the invention. The products to be produced by the present apparatus will hereinafter be referred to as helical bars."

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an apparatus of this invention in its entirety, the apparatus comprising a machine for producing an elongated twisted wire and an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine disposed in series therewith for removing strain from the twisted wire and cutting off the resulting wire in a predetermined dimension;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation in vertical section showing the details of the interior construction of the twisted wire producing machine;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view illustrating a wire material of circular cross-section as it is being drawn, helicallytwisted and wound up in which the producing machine in FIG. 2 is seen from the rear portion in section;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a helical bar obtained by the apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation with part broken away showing the details of strain removing means included in the automatic cutting-off machine;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken along the line 6 6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 7 7 in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a machine for producing twisted wires constituting the apparatus of this invention will be described. A frame 1 includes a front com partment 3 housing power transmission means 2 for operating the entire machine and a rear compartment 5 housing means 4 to be driven through the power transmission means 2 for drawing, cold working and winding. An elongated wire material a of circular-crosssection wound on a supply drum (not shown) in front of the machine is drawn by the means 4 into a square cross-section by cold working and wound up on a takeup drum by the drawing means. Referring to the power transmission means 2 shown in FIG. 2, primary transmission is effected by a belt 10 reeved around the pulley 7 of a motor 6 and the pulley 9 of a first rotary shaft 8 disposed in a lower portion of the compartment 3. The torque thus transmitted is then delivered to a second rotary shaft 13 provided with a first gear 12 in meshing engagement with a gear 11 keyed to the first rotary shaft 8. The second rotary shaft 13 is positioned above the first rotary shaft 8 in parallel therewith. The torque is then transmitted to a third rotary shaft 16 through a second gear 14 on the second rotary shaft 13 and a gear 15 meshing with the gear 14 and fixed to the shaft 16. The third rotary shaft 16 is positioned in a slightly upper portion of the chamber 3, with its rear end extending into the chamber 5. In this way, the torque of the motor 6 is transmitted to the first rotary shaft 8, second rotary shaft 13 and third rotary shaft 16 in sequence.

Extending through the third rotary shaft 16 is a passage 17 for the wire material a to be supplied which has an inlet 17a at its front end and an outlet 17b opened at the side of an intermediate portion of the shaft 16 positioned in the chamber 5.

The means 4 for effecting drawing, cold working and winding is mounted on the third rotary shaft 16 extending into the chamber 5. The third rotary shaft 16 extending horizontally through the chambers 3 and 5 is rotatably supported on bearings 18 and 19, and a drum 21 for winding up the twisted wire is supported at only one end thereof by a bearing 20 on a portion of the shaft 16 which further extends rearwardly of the frame 1. A pair of sun gears 22 and 22a spaced apart by a desired distance is mounted by bearings 23 and 23a on the third rotary shaft 16 within the compartment 5. A rotary disk 24 to be moved with the shaft 16 is fixed to the third rotary shaft 16 between the sun gears 22 and 22a. The rotary disk 24 is formed with a slanting passage having at one end an opening coinciding with the outlet 17b of the supply passage 17 and the other end extending toward a die.

Extending horizontally through the rotary disk 24 is a pair of rotary shafts 25 and 25a rotatably supported on bearings. Mounted on the opposite ends of the rotary shafts 25, 25a are planetary gears 26, 26a meshing with the sun gears 22, 220. When the rotary disk 24 rotates together with the third rotary shaft 16, the planetary gears 26, 26a move along the sun gears 22, 22a in meshing engagement therewith. At this time the takeup drum 21 is stationary and the rotation of the rotary disk 24 gives the drawing force to the wire material a and the force for winding up the twisted wire b in synchronized relation.

The rotary disk 24 is provided with a drawing die 28 housed in a die box 27. As shown in FIG. 3, the die 28 is supported on a bearing 30 so as to be rotatable by the power transmitted to a bevel gear 29 and has a die passage 31 of square cross-section extending through its center, the inlet of the passage 31 being so opened that the wire material a can be led into the passage 31 after being guided from the outlet 17b along several guide rolls 33 to be described later. The outlet of the passage 31 is open in the tangential direction of the take-up drum 21.

More specifically, the rotary disk 24 is provided with several guide rolls 33 which are mounted on support members 32 and arranged between the outlet 17b of the supply passage 17 and the inlet of the die passage 31 in the die 28 as seen in FIG. 3. By means of the rolls 33, the wire material a is led into the inlet of the die 28 smoothly.

The wire material a thus supplied to the die 28 is subjected to cold working by the rotation of the die 28 and made into a twisted wire 12 having continuous helical crests. The rotation of the die 28 may be directly imparted by a change gear 36 to be supplied with an input at a gear 34 meshing with the planetary gear 26 and delivering an output at a bevel gear 35 meshing with the bevel gear 29.

When the motor 6 is driven with the wire material a of circular cross-section passed into the inlet 17a of the supply passage 17 in the third rotary shaft 16 and out of the outlet 17b, then through the die passage 31 and wound on the take-up drum 21 several turns, the wire material a is drawn into a square cross-section by cold working and at the same time twisted helically into a continuous elongated twisted wire b by the die 28 which is fixed to the rotary disk 24 and which per se is driven by the power directly supplied by the disk 24. Due to the winding force which is exerted in synchronism with the drawing force of the rotary disk 24, the twisted wire b is continuously wound on the stationary take-up drum 21.

At the rear end of the take-up drum 21' there is disposed a pair of arms 38 rotatably supported on a bearing 37, and the twisted wire b is led into an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine by guide rolls 39 which per se are rotatable about the arms 38.

As already known, the automatic straight wire cutting-off machine comprises groups of feed rolls, strain removing means interposed between the groups of rolls and means for cutting off the twisted wire in a predetermined dimension. Referring to FIG. 1 showing the cutting-off machine, the cutting-off machine will generally be described. A group of feed rolls 40 positioned at the front of the machine, strain removing means 41, a

' group of feed rolls 42 positioned in the rear of the means 411, and cutter means 43 are mounted on a base 44 in a row.

The group of feed rolls 40 and the strain removing means 41 are driven by the same motor 45 and, forthis purpose, a belt 49 is passed around the first pulley 46 of the motor 45 and the pulley 48 of the means 41 supported on bearings 47, 47 to be described later, with a belt 53 passed around the second pulley 50 of the motor 45 and a first pulley 52 on a counter shaft 51 mounted above the motor 45. Reeved around a second pulley 52a on the shaft 51 and the pulley 55 of a change gear 54 is a belt 56. The torque of the motor 45 is therefore transmitted to a worm change gear 57, which is associated with a drive gear 58 for the group of feed rolls 40 by a chain 59. Thus the group of rolls 40 are driven in one direction.

In the same manner as by the drive gear 58, the feed rolls 42 are driven in one direction by a drive gear 60 which is rotated by a chain 61 passed around the drive gear 58 and the drive gear 66.

The groups of the feed rolls 40 and 42 send the twisted wire b in one direction in nipping engagement therewith. For this purpose, the groups of rolls 40 and 42 are provided with springs 62 and handles 63 for controlling the resilient action of the springs 62.

The cutter means 43 is driven by a motor 64. A belt 65a is passed around a pulley on a counter shaft 65 and the pulley of the motor whereby the counter shaft 65 is driven which is further associated with a flywheel 66 by a belt 67 to operate the cutter means 43. By engaging a clutch (not shown) incorporated in the cutter means 43, a cutter (not shown) is actuated whereby the twisted wire b advanced in a straight form is cut off in a predetermined dimension. The cutting-off means which is already known in the art will not be described in detail.

The improvement in the strain removing means 41 included in the automatic straight wire cuttingoff machine, one of the features of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 wherein details are shown. A rotary shaft 68 having a passage extending along its axis for the twisted wire b is supported on bearings 47 and 47. As already described, the rotary shaft 68 is driven in one direction by the motor 45.

Between the bearings 47 and 47 within the rotary shaft 68, the twisted wired b is subjected to an external force exceeding the yield point to effect plastic deformation and is thereby strightened. As shown in FIG. 5, this portion is enclosed by a cover 70 hingedly supported as at 69 and 69.

The rotary shaft 68 includes several strain removing members 71 arranged on the same plane in staggered arrangement. The illustrated embodiment includes seven members 71. For this purpose the rotary shaft 68 has a hollow space 72 for providing the members 71.

The strain removing member 71 comprises a strain removing die made of a metal of extreme hardness and rotatably supported on a holder 77 by a combined bearing 76. The die 75 has a passage 74 defined by a strain removing plane 73 at its rear end and diverging toward the forward end, the passage 74 being similar to that of the drawing die. The holder 77 is fitted into grooves 79 formed in the opposed inner walls 78 of the space 72 and clamped from above and under by holding bolts 82 driven through holding members 81 secured by bolts 80 at the opposite ends thereof. ln this manner the strain removing members 71 are secured in position along the axis of the shaft 68 in staggered arrangement. Thus, when an elongated helically twisted wire b wound on the take-up drum 21 of the twisted wire producing machine is passed along the guide roll 39, between feed rolls 40, through strain removing means 41, then between rolls 42 and into cutter means 43 of the automatic straight wire cutting-off machine as shown in FIG. 1 and the motor 45 and 64 are rotated, the respective parts and means are driven to remove strain from the twisted wire b while positively sending forth the wire. As a result, helical bars 0 of a given length as shown in FIG. 4 will be obtained.

Since the elongated twisted wire material b positively fed to the machine by the groups of feed rolls 40 and 42 has helically twisted crests d with a predetermined pitch, with planar portions e deformed in slanting manner due to the twisting and because the respective strain removing members 71 are disposed along the axis of the rotary shaft 68 in staggered arrangment with respect to the same plane, the twisted wire material b comes into contact with the strain removing planes 73 of the members 71 as the rotary shaft 68 is rotated and is thereby subjected to an external force exceeding the yield point, with the result that the twisted wire material b undergoes plastic deformation and is sent forward while being straightened gradually.

When the twisted wire material b having the desired helical pitch advances straight during such operation, the strain removing action will apparently tend to vary the helical pitch. Thus, if the helical pitch is thereby diminished, namely if the wire is further twisted in the same direction to produce helices having a smaller intervening distance than the previously formed helices, the twisted wire b will then be broken apart by the twisting. Conversely, if the helical pitch is produced in the opposite direction to the previous pitch, the twisted wire material b will be untwisted gradually. Which of the above two situations will result depends upon the direction of rotation of the rotary shaft 68.

Since, however, the strain removing dies 75 according to the present invention are supported on the holders 77 by means of combined bearings 76 with the twisted wire b passing through the passages 74 of the dies 75 for elimination of strain, no variation will be produced in the helical pitch of the twisted wire material b irrespective of the direction of rotation of the shaft 68 and the speed of rotation.

When the twisted wire material b is subjected to the external force beyond the yield point resulting from the striking of the wire b against the inner surfaces of the dies 75 defining the passages 7'4 as it is passed through the dies 75 which are disposed in staggered arrangement on the same plane, the crests d will be apparently beaten down if the striking contact takes place at the crests d. In accordance with this invention, therefore, the passage 74 of the strain removing die 75 is formed in a square cross-section the same as the wire material b to provide the strain removing plane 73 in conformity with the twisted wire material b, thereby permitting the planar portion e of the twisted wire b to come into striking contact with the die 75. The deformation of the crests d will therefore be prevented.

The twisted wire b which has been straightened by elimination of strain is then cut off by the cutter means 43 in a given dimension to obtain final products. The cutting-off means already known will need no detailed description.

The continuous winding of the twisted wire b on the take-up drum 21 of the twisted wire producing machine thus effected in spite of the fact that the drum is stationary serves to eliminate the need for synchronization, for example, between the drum and the groups of rolls 40 and 42 on the cutting-off machine to be used in combination with the twisted wire producing machine, with the result advantage that both machines can be arranged in series for high speed operation. In addition, with the twisted wire producing machine, the drawing of the wire material a and the winding on the drum 21 of the twisted wire b obtained by cold working by passing through the die 28 can be effected by the rotation of the rotary disk 24 in synchronized relation, and the torque of the rotary disk 24 enables the die 28 to twist the wire material a in one direction.

Because of the improved strain removing means 41 which utilizes the planar portion e of the twisting wire b for the removal of strain, the automatic cutting-off machine gives satisfactory helical bars free of injuries in the crests d. With the provision of the strain removing die 75 which per se is rotated, the change in the helical pitch is avoided to eliminate possible breakage of the twisted wire.

The foregoing description of a useful embodiment of this invention will ensure a full understanding of this invention. Various modifications and alternation may of course by made without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the change gear serving as a power takeoff for the die may alternatively be replaced with a motor for indirect power takeoff.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for producing helical wires, rods, bars and the like of the type including in combination a machine for producing a twisted wire by drawing a wire material of circular cross-section into a noncircular cross-section by cold working and twisting the wire material in one direction and an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine for subjecting the resultant twisted wire to an external force beyond the yield point to effect plastic deformation and thereby straighten the wire, and cutting off the straightened wire in a predetermined dimension, said apparatus comprising power transmission means, a rotary shaft formed with a wire material supply passage having an inlet and outlet, a pair of sun gears rotatably mounted on said rotary shaft, a rotary disk disposed between said gears and fixedly mounted on said rotary shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of planetary gears mounted on said disk and meshing with said sun gears, a take-up drum loosely mounted on the rear end of said rotary shaft, a drawing die formed with a die passage having noncircular cross section, an inlet communicating with the outlet of said supply passage and an outlet opened toward the tangential direction of said take-up drum, guide rollers mounted on said rotary disk between the inlet of said die and the supply passage, the torque of said rotary disk being utilized to effect drawing of the wire material and winding of the twisted wire in synchronism with each other, a group of rolls for unwinding the twisted wire wound up on said take-up drum, strain removing means disposed in the rear of said group of rolls, a group of rolls disposed in the rear of said strain removing means, means disposed in the rear of said strain removing means for cutting off the twisted wire in a predetermined dirnension, said strain removing means including strain removing members each having strain removing plane in conformity with the cross-sectional shape of the twisted wire and disposed along the axis of a rotary shaft in staggered arrangement with respect to a plane, which rotary shaft when rotated causing the planar portion of the twisted wire to strike said strain removing plane and to be thereby subjected to an external force beyond the yield point for straightening.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wehrein said die for drawing the wire material is supplied with a torque for twisting operation directly from power transmission means having an input gear meshing with said planetary gear and an output gear meshing with a bevel gear fixed to said die.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said strain removing members of said strain removing means comprises a die holder and a strain removing die having a strain removing plane, said holder and said strain removing die being supported on a combined bearing, said strain removing die per se being rotatable. a a a: 

1. An apparatus for producing helical wires, rods, bars and the like of the type including in combination a machine for producing a twisted wire by drawing a wire material of circular crosssection into a noncircular cross-section by cold working and twisting the wire material in one direction and an automatic straight wire cutting-off machine for subjecting the resultant twisted wire to an external force beyond the yield point to effect plastic deformation and thereby straighten the wire, and cutting off the straightened wire in a predetermined dimension, said apparatus comprising power transmission means, a rotary shaft formed with a wire material supply passage having an inlet and outlet, a pair of sun gears rotatably mounted on said rotary shaft, a rotary disk disposed between said gears and fixedly mounted on said rotary shaft for rotation therewith, a pair of planetary gears mounted on said disk and meshing with said sun gears, a take-up drum loosely mounted on the rear end of said rotary shaft, a drawing die formed with a die passage having noncircular cross-section, an inlet communicating with the outlet of said supply passage and an outlet opened toward the tangential direction of said take-up drum, guide rollers mounted on said rotary disk between the inlet of said die and the supply passage, the torque of said rotary disk being utilized to effect drawing of the wire material and winding of the twisted wire in synchronism with each other, a group of rolls for unwinding the twisted wire wound up on said take-up drum, strain removing means disposed in the rear of said group of rolls, a group of rolls disposed in the rear of said strain removing means, means disposed in the rear of said strain removing means for cutting off the twisted wire in a predetermined dimension, said strain removing means including strain removing members each having strain removing plane in conformity with the cross-sectional shape of the twisted wire and disposed along the axis of a rotary shaft in staggered arrangement with respect to a plane, which rotary shaft when rotated causing the planar portion of the twisted wire to strike said strain removing plane and to be thereby subjected to an external force beyond the yield point for straightening.
 2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said die for drawing the wire material is supplied with a torque for twisting operation directly from power transmission means having an input gear meshing with said planetary gear and an output gear meshing with a bevel gear fixed to said die.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said strain removing members of said strain removing means comprises a die holder and a strain removing die having a strain removing plane, said holder and said strain removing die being supported on a combined bearing, said strain removing die per se being rotatable. 